An Evaluation of the Effect of 'Open Window' on Psychological Well-being and Experience of Stem Cell Transplantation

The \'Open Window\' Study is a prospective longitudinal study using a 4 group randomised control trial design to evaluate the psychological effect of \'Open Window\' on the consequences of long term isolation on patients undergoing stem cell transplantation treatment of haematological malignancies. This study uses a randomised control trial design, which is widely used in healthcare settings to test the effects of interventions and testing cause and effect relationships between variables. A mixed methods approach for data collection and data analysis is being used. This will facilitate measurement of patients\' psychological response to \'Open Window\' using questionnaires and exploration of subjective feelings in relation to personal experiences of having a stem cell transplant through semi structured interviews. Hypothesis to be tested \'Open Window\' has no effect on patients\' levels of anxiety, depression, or distress when undergoing a stem cell transplant. Results: Of the 199 patients in the study, 96 were randomized to the intervention group and 103 to the control group. Participants in the intervention group had significantly reduced levels of anxiety on the day before transplant (P = 0.001), at day 7 (P = 0.041), and day 60 (P = 0.035). There was a significant reduction in depression before transplant (P= 0.022). Participants in the intervention group reported better experiences (P \< 0.005).